Former President Donald Trump is making it clear—if Ukraine wants continued U.S. aid, America should get something in return.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump called for a deal ensuring that any future financial or military support for Kyiv comes with access to Ukraine’s vast reserves of rare earth minerals, as reported by The New York Post.

“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things,” Trump told reporters. He insisted that U.S. aid should come with a tangible return, not just an endless flow of taxpayer money.
“We’re handing them money hand over fist. We’re giving them equipment. [The] European [Union] is not keeping up with us.”
Trump’s comments come as Ukraine continues to rely heavily on U.S. military and financial support in its fight against Russia.
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He previously promised to end the conflict quickly if re-elected, arguing that the Biden administration’s approach has only prolonged the war while draining American resources.
Ukraine is sitting on an abundance of rare earth elements, making it one of the most mineral-rich nations in the world.

The country holds the largest titanium reserves in Europe, along with significant deposits of lithium, beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel, according to the World Economic Forum.
These materials are essential for advanced technologies, from military equipment to consumer electronics.
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However, much of Ukraine’s mineral wealth is now at risk due to Russia’s ongoing invasion. Moscow has already seized significant parts of eastern Ukraine, including areas in the Donbas region that were critical to the country’s coal and industrial production.
BREAKING: President Trump just announced that he is demanding Ukraine to give its rare earth minerals to the United States as payment for all the aid.
“So we’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other… pic.twitter.com/M9xZbHTIMl
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Despite these setbacks, Ukraine still controls valuable reserves, including those in the Dnieper River basin and the Carpathian Mountains in the west.
Trump’s push for a transactional approach echoes discussions last year between U.S. lawmakers and Ukrainian officials.
Following a visit to Ukraine, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was open to negotiating access to his country’s mineral resources in exchange for continued U.S. military support.
“President Zelensky was excited about and was committed to obtaining a strategic agreement with the U.S. regarding the more than a trillion dollars’ worth of rare earth minerals owned by Ukraine and expressed a commitment to create a working group with the U.S. to make this happen.”
Meanwhile, Trump has reiterated his willingness to broker peace talks between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He claimed on Monday that “we made a lot of progress on Russia-Ukraine,” though he did not provide further details.
As for Zelensky, he recently floated the idea of four-way negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, the European Union, and the U.S. However, the Kremlin was quick to dismiss the idea. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that such a proposal had not been taken seriously.
With the Biden administration continuing its policy of unchecked aid to Ukraine, Trump’s position is a stark contrast. His America-first approach demands accountability, ensuring that U.S. resources benefit the country rather than serving as a never-ending gift to foreign governments.
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